AUNT HANNAH!

Aunt Hannah had training in DC this week and came a couple days early for a WONDERFUL visit (despite Cordelia's raging ear infection, sleeplessness, and general crankiness) and to meet Emma. It was love at first sight. Emma absolutely adored her. Couldn't stop staring at her the whole weekend. Can you blame her?

But the best of all -- for Cody and Cordy -- was what was hiding in Hannah's suitcase. She brought them gold-panning kits from Colorado! It was SO much fun. And super wet. And awesome. (The best was watching JVL get really, intensely into swirling the sand and water in slow, perfect, even circles, poised to catch a glimpse of gold...and the look in his eye when the kids just wildly flailed their plates around, shouting, "That might be gold!" (Usually it was a handful of unmistakeable sand.) : )

 Best photo ever?

 No, this one is. :) 

 A close second and third are these. ; )

We love you, HWK -- so, so happy we got to see you and can't wait for a repeat. When we you take them camping in CO, it will be epic!

Happy Baby

 ...and she looks like her daddy. : )

Shipbuilding

This is so much fun to watch him create. Masts, sails, planks, even a crow's nest. He has such a great little mind. 

Spring and Dirt - Perfect Together

DIMPLE!

William Montessori Tell

Cody has been deep into music lately, ever since they watched (a thousand times) the choral Birth of Christ. There, he met the kettle drum, and it's been a true romance. He'll try any classical music -- the more percussive, the better. Well, understanding his grandson the way he does, Pop-Pop recently brought down a certain CD. Thanks to Pop-Pop, Cody has become enamored--obsessed, really--with the William Tell overture. He knows every note, every nuance. When he listens, his eyes glaze over and it's clear he is seeing the whole thing in his mind. We've talked a lot about what various passages make us think about...particularly The Storm. : ) So today we brought it to school. And lo and behold, when I picked him up (would that I had gotten there ten minutes earlier!) here's what I saw:

The pure, unbridled (hee hee) joy on his face is just priceless. (Video's a little shaky but you can still tell how happy he is!) After it was done, I clapped and they were all so thrilled and Ms. Leavesley said, "You should have seen them do the storm!" She had them listen to it first, all the way through, and then dance. She and I are going to conspire to have them do it again, so I can catch the whole thing. For now, this will keep me smiling. 

Way to go, Pop-Pop!!!

My Little Mermaid

The kids have been rather enamored lately with the Little Mermaid, which they've seen a handful of times and love. Cordelia likes Ariel. I think it's that she's strong-willed tempestuous hardheaded bullheaded redheaded disobedient doesn't listen to her parents spunky. Cody likes -- surprise! -- the storm and subsequent shipwreck, and eventual whirlpool. Their birthdays came just in time, as Granny hit one out of the park with an Ariel costume and dolls, and Kelly and Mark arrived with a cardboard ship in tow. Cody has whole worlds of fun in it, and sometimes lets the little mermaid in, too. 

Nope, I can't actually explain that last one.

Handsome, Clever, and Full of Giggles

JVL, there is no doubt. She was perfectly named.

This is the Emma version of Cordelia's "I love myself." : )

Library Card!

Now that Cody is five...he is able to have his very own library card! While the girls were snoozing this afternoon, we went to the library and Cody said, "Hello! My name is Cody! I just turned five! Can I please have a library card?!"

They said yes! : ) And even gave him his own bookmark. He was delighted, and then he checked out a completely bizarre and random assortment of books. Just because he could.

In the Stay of Her Own Steadfast Might

I have always loved this Spenser sonnet. I secretly hoped it would someday describe me. But perhaps it was meant for my little one.

THRICE happy she! that is so well assured
Unto herself, and settled so in heart,
That neither will for better be allured,
Ne feared with worse to any chance to start;
But, like a steady ship, doth strongly part	5
The raging waves, and keeps her course aright;
Ne aught for tempest doth from it depart,
Ne aught for fairer weather’s false delight.
Such self-assurance need not fear the spite
Of grudging foes, ne favour seek of friends:	10
But, in the stay of her own steadfast might,
Neither to one herself nor other bends.
Most happy she, that most assur’d doth rest;
But he most happy, who such one loves best.

I think this might be my favorite video ever. Of anything. Because her twist on my "I love Cody/I love Cordy/I love Emma/I'm glad that you're my kids!" is just...well. See for yourself. Bonus comes at the end, when she then wants to watch the video. Of herself. Immediately.


So well assured, indeed.

Cody is FIVE!

Five years ago, this darling little bundle was placed in my arms.

 

Now look at him! 

(Batman and Bidi, on his last night as a four-year-old.)

 Here he is, opening his gifts.

 

He had a great day at school, doing his birthday walk. I picked him up early, and then came the big surprise: I told him he could skip his nap so we could go shopping for his birthday surprise: a bike!!!

 Here is is with Mr. Steve, going over all the pros and cons of green vs. red.

 The tires were pretty fun, too (this one immediately became a steering wheel of a pirate ship).

 The day ended with dinner (per CJP's request) at the Cheesecake Factory. Where I wolfed down something while holding Emma and drinking a mojito. Because it was just that kind of a week.